Central Asia, modern day Pakistan / Afghanistan, Bactrian, ca. 1000 to 500 BCE. Hand-carved from alabaster, a vessel with a gently tapering cylindrical body, a short tubular neck, and flared rim with a circular lid presenting a petite, raised button-shaped knob at the center. The surface boasts lovely patterns from the natural banding of the stone as well as a few mesmerizing feather-like images that may be the result of fossilization. Size: 3.25" in diameter x 6.125" H (8.3 cm x 15.6 cm)

Alabaster, a light-colored, calcareous stone from the Iranian Plateau, has strong connections to religion and specifically the gods of ancient Central Asia . For example, in the site of Kultepe-Kanes, a huge burial mound, there were many disc-shaped alabaster idols, naked alabaster goddesses, and lion figures. We also know that alabaster was a precious material, widely traded in the region from the 4th millennium BCE onward.

Provenance: private New Jersey USA collection, acquired over twenty years ago

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#121495

Surface wear with old nicks, scuffs, and abraded areas commensurate with age.